Friday, May 15, 2009

V for Victory


A for Arrival. Or Accomplishment. I've made it home and so the summer begins.

7:30 yesterday morning (Kansas Time) I checked out of my apartment and got on the shuttle to the airport. Got there about 8:30 for my flight that was boarding at 9:50. I was down with that. A little nap would be nice before I got on the plane, since I'd been up very late the night before. So I catnap in the lounge until 9:50 rolls around and they announce . . .

Flight Delayed.

Okay, I can handle that. There's a lightning storm going on between here and my layover destination, Dallas, and the plane can't fly through it. The speakers tell us that our flight will board at 11:15. Okay. Sooo, 11:00 rolls around and they announce over the speakers that . . .

Flight Delayed. Boarding at 12:00.

I call home to tell my mom I still haven't made it out of Kansas, even though I should have been in Texas by now, and thereby halfway home.

12:00 the lady behind the desk speaks into the microphone to tell use that the flight will begin boarding at 1:00. Everyone in the lounge laughs. We hadn't really expected them to keep their word. They still didn't keep their 1:00 promise, since we suddenly began boarding at about 12:15. Finally.

Oh, but this was not the end of the nightmare for me! While my connecting flight had also been delayed, the stewardess had no information about when or where it was. So the moment I was in Dallas I dashed to the monitors to check the flight information, hoping I would have time for lunch and a bathroom break. It was 2:44. The monitor told me my flight departed at 2:40 and was fifteen terminals away.

I zoomed through that airport like anything. Towing my little carry on bag I passed anyone, weaving my way through the crowds of travelers, leaving them all in the dust. I got to my terminal at 2:48. I asked a guy in line if my flight had left yet. He told me they had just done last boarding call. I gasped. Out loud. Loud enough for the lady behind the desk to take notice.

"Ontario flight?" she asked. I nodded and she grabbed my ticket, torn it and handed the stub back to me. She pulled the door open and said, "Go, run!" I did, saying, "Thank you very much!" as I vanished into the distance.
So, I made it. Without a second to spare.

My luggage, however, was not so fortunate. It decided to take a different flight out of Dallas so that it would arrive hours after I did. This required me to go back to the airport later that evening and retrieve the bag.

I feel so tired.

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